


Beauty in the Ink

by sekairrific



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, Light Smut, M/M, tattoo artist sekai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:14:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23076856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sekairrific/pseuds/sekairrific
Summary: After many years Jongin finally opened a tattoo shop. The art that was created in his shop soon became overwhelming and he opted to hire more people. He didn't know what to expect when Sehun's portfolio came across his desk but he soon found out.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 18
Kudos: 149
Collections: PROJECT 94 Round 2





	Beauty in the Ink

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt R2047: Jongin opens his own tattoo parlor and, as it gets bigger, he decides to get more workers. Sehun is one of them. The thing is, the dude's so skilled with drawing on people's skin that he quickly overshadows Jongin's presence in the parlor, making the owner quite jealous. But before Jongin gets to express his jealousy, Sehun asks him to tattoo some things onto his skin.
> 
> To the prompter: I hope I did your prompt justice! I enjoyed writing this because it gave me the chance to explore my love for tattoos. I genuinely hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it.

Tattoos can symbolize many different things for many people. What a rose means to one person may not mean the same thing to the next. No matter when one might venture into the world of tattoos they are allowed to their artistic expression. Who is one to judge? Well Kim Jongin’s parents certainly did. At the ripe young age of eighteen he got his first tattoo. He waited patiently because it was not a conversation he wanted to have with his parents. They would have said no had he asked earlier and at eighteen he wouldn’t need parental consent. So on his eighteenth birthday he went with his best friend to a tattoo parlor just outside of Seoul. He didn’t want to run the risk of his parents seeing him before he was ready. If you looked close enough everybody knew someone when it came to living in Seoul. So the farther out he went the better his chances were of not getting caught. 

“Are you sure about this Jongin? This is permanent you know?” Baekhyun asked for the millionth time that day.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve been wanting this for ages.”

“How do you know you can handle it? Your pain tolerance isn’t all that great you know?”

Jongin just shoved his friend aside as they got off the bus and walked the rest of the way to the parlor. The closer they got the more nervous he became. This was about to be real. He had saved up all his money from working odd jobs over the past few summers and doing chores for his neighbors. He had a little over $1500 and he was ready to spend it on the one thing he really wanted. After much deliberation he had decided on a medium sized bird on his right rib cage. Birds symbolized a sense of freedom and at eighteen he felt like this was his first step to achieving that. When they walked into the tattoo parlor Jongin had to take a minute to soak it all in. He was really about to do this. He took note of all the art on the walls, there was a mural of a skull behind the receptionist desk, and the floors were black and white in checkerboard form.

“Hello. Welcome to _Zephyros Tattoos_ ! How may I help you?” Jongin didn’t even register the lady who was talking to him. He was so enthralled by the intricate designs that lined the inside of the parlor. 

“This must be your first time here?” the receptionist spoke again.

“It is,” Baekhyun spoke for him.

“Ah, well I will let him take his time. I’ll be right back.” She left them to stay in the front while she went to do some duties in the back. Jongin could hear the sounds of tattoo guns and voices floating through his ears and it was giving him a sense of nervous excitedness. There was no way he was backing down from this now.

“I will ask you one last time if you’re sure you want this?”

Jongin turned to Baekhyun and just nodded with a sparkle of hope and happiness in his eyes. He really did want this. So, together they walked back to the receptionist who had returned to the front desk. This was the first time Jongin was really seeing her and she was covered in tattoos. She had long dark black hair, a black choker with a crescent moon, light eyeliner coating her eyes, and from what he could see her forearms were filled with tattoos in black and white. 

“So, have you decided?” she asked him politely.

“I have. I would like to get a tattoo,” Jongin spoke confidently.

“Great! I’m Jisoo and I’ll be taking all your paperwork. Before we get started are you 18 or older?”

“Yes. My birthday is actually today,” Jongin pulled out his drivers license and handed it over to her. He nervously bit his lips as he continued to look around the parlor. He was really amazed at how intricate it all was and he would soon have that handiwork on his body.

“Happy Birthday! I’m going to give you your paperwork and you can sit on that couch behind you. Take your time there is no rush.” She handed him a clipboard that had about five sheets of paper on it. He nodded his head in an acknowledgement of thanks and went to sit on the couch. Him and Baekhyun were currently the only two in the parlor at the moment, aside from the few he could hear in the back getting tattooed. Jongin quietly filled out all the information that was asked of him. 

“This is amazing! Thank you so much.” 

“You’re welcome. Please come back anytime.”

The exchange made Jongin look up from what he was doing to see a girl, barely a few years older than him looking at her new leg tattoo in the mirror. Presumably the artist who did the work was standing right behind her as she looked this way and that. Jongin could see the satisfaction in his work. He valued that kind of pride in an artist, who was too put their work permanently on someone’s body. 

“Chanyeol, if you’re free there’s a client looking to get a tattoo. I would ask Minnie but I just checked her calendar and she’s got someone coming in, in about an hour.”

“I am. Who is it?”

Jongin watched as Jisoo pointed in his direction. He shot his head down and finished his paperwork. For some reason he suddenly felt embarrassed and out of place. But everyone who got tattoos started somewhere right? 

“He’s kinda cute,” Baekhyun whispered in Jongin’s ear.

“Seriously. That’s what you’re thinking about at a time like this?”

“A time like what? You’re so dramatic. Plus he’s coming this way.” 

Jongin looked up to see a man probably taller than him walking towards him. He had silver hair that was styled up, black jeans, a lightweight white sweater with the sleeves rolled up, and glasses. As he got closer Jongin noted the tattoo on his forearm. It looked like a guitar from what he could tell but he wasn’t going to ask. From the parts he could see, Chanyeol’s right arm wasn’t as tattooed as his left. His left was so covered that there wasn’t room left for much else. Jongin wondered who did those for him because they were really pretty.

“Hello. Jisoo says you’re looking to get a tattoo.”

Chanyeol had stopped in front of Baekhyun and not Jongin.

“Oh no! Not me. Him.”

Jongin shyly looked up into the eyes of the taller man in front of him. He wondered to himself why he thought Baekhyun would be the one getting the tattoo and not him. Did he look that out of place? For some reason, a sense of discomfort clouded his feelings of happiness in wanting to get this tattoo. Was he really ready for this? He had thought so, but then he thought back to what his parents would say when they found out and even what Baekhyun had been asking him this whole time. He truly thought he had been sure but now he wasn’t. Would he regret it later? 

“My apologies! I’m Chanyeol and will be doing your tattoo whenever you’re ready. Do you have an idea of what you want? If not, I can give you my portfolio to flip through so you see what my work looks like.” Jongin was struck into silence. It was all coming at him too fast and now he didn’t know what to do. He was nearly done with the paperwork. All it needed was his signature and then it would be all up to him to jump over this hurdle and get it done. 

“Uhm---I think he has an idea of what he wants but can we see your portfolio anyway?” Baekhyun spoke up for him. Jongin was so glad he brought Baekhyun with him because had he come by himself he probably would have backed out and left. All thanks to Baekhyun’s quick thinking he was giving him the time to process all this before he made a decision that would permanently change not only his skin but his life.

“Are you okay?” Baekhyun asked after Chanyeol gave him his portfolio and left them to look it over. It wasn’t needed because deep down Jongin knew that Chanyeol would do a great job. He just had to collect his thoughts. 

“Yeah, I’ll be okay. It all just hit me like a shit ton of bricks. It’s about to be real.”

“Yes, it is. So are you absolutely sure that this is what you want?”

“I am sure,” resolutely Jongin nodded his head and signed his signature on the last page with a sense of finality. Then he walked back up to the receptionist and handed her the clipboard. She asked him about which tattoo he planned to get and he pulled out a piece of paper. Inside was a rough drawing of what he wanted. Jisoo listened to everything he wanted and said that she would take it back to Chanyeol to properly draw up. When he was done he would come back out and get him.

With a thank you he left the desk and went back to sit down with Baekhyun. Together just for interest they flipped through Chanyeol’s portfolio. He really was talented and Jongin knew that simply by how well the tattoo on the previous customer was done. Seeing his work settled his nerves tremendously.

_Present day…_

“Jongin your last client of the day is here.” 

Looking up from his desk where he was drawing a tattoo for a client coming in next week, he smiled at his receptionist Lisa. “Thank you. I’ll be right out,” he said and she kindly turned back around to inform his client when he’d be ready. 

“Lisa you can go home if you want. I know you’ve been here all day,” he said as she returned to his desk with the permission papers from his client.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, and I know you’ve got a flight tomorrow so enjoy your vacation and I’ll see you when you get back.”

“Thank you!” she responded with a smile on her face. “Oh, and don’t forget you’ve got an interview tomorrow morning for another tattooist. He’ll be in at 10AM, and I called Seulgi to see if she can switch her hours while I’m gone.” 

“Lisa, you’re truly the best.” Getting up from behind his desk, he walked with Lisa to the front of the parlor to send her off and meet his client for the evening. 

Fifteen years after he got his first tattoo, Jongin now owned his own tattoo parlor. He named his parlor _Ares Tattoos_ after the Greek god of war. He was always intrigued by the stories of Greek gods and goddesses ever since he could remember. So, it came as no shock to him that when the time came for him to label something as his own he chose a Greek god. Among his many tattoos that have grown on his body over the last ten years a few of them are attributed to Ares and many others.

After locking up behind Lisa, he turned around to meet the client who was sitting patiently on the couch in the front of the parlor. They looked nervous but most people who came in to get their first tattoo always looked the same way. He was no different when he first got his. He was thankful that his best friend was there to guide him even though he was a pain in the ass all at the same time.

“So, Lisa brought me back your sketch and you would like a dragon, is that correct?” Jongin asked as he walked up to the client. She looked up at him with big, worrisome, but determined eyes. Jongin had a feeling he looked the same way all those years ago but she was in good hands with him and his talents.

“Yes, please,” she responded softly as she stood up to shake Jongin’s hand. “Okay, great! Let’s get started. I’m Jongin by the way.” With an outstretched arm he ushered her to the back room where everything was set up for him to get started. He figured by the size of the tattoo it wouldn’t take him much longer than maybe six hours to finish, which he was glad for because not only did he have an interview tomorrow morning he had a second session to finish on about a cumulative 12 hour tattoo. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Rose, my friends recommended me to you. I think a few of them have been through here before.”

“Well, I hope they enjoy the pieces they got done here.”

“They did. I have been mulling over this tattoo for a few months now and they pushed me to come here. According to them there’s not another shop in town that they trust but yours.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It means a lot.”

Jongin waited until she pulled herself up onto the table before he sat down in his own chair and brought forward the sketch he had drawn up. They did some slight rearranging on where she wanted it but ultimately they found a perfect spot where it would fit without being scrunched up.

“Give me one second and I’ll be right back.”

He couldn’t remember if he locked up behind them, so he rushed to the front door to see that indeed everything was locked up and their gate was down. He tried to avoid taking late night clients but sometimes it simply couldn’t be helped.

“Alright, let’s get down to business.” 

Since this was her session and it was just them he let her plug her phone into the speakers and let whatever music she deemed fit play over the speakers. He found that they had similar tastes in music which made the session go by much faster than he expected. They only had to stop a few times when it became too much on certain spots but she soldiered through it like a champ. Especially for it being her first tattoo. When he was finished he took her to a mirror and showed her the finished work.

“Oh my goodness! It’s beautiful. I’m glad I listened to my friend’s after all.” Jongin stood behind her with a smile on his face as well. It was one of his better pieces if he did say so himself. It’s not like he was terrible it’s just he tended to overthink some of his work sometimes. This wasn’t one of those times. 

She allowed him to take a picture of it for his portfolio and then he showed her how to properly dress the tattoo and explained the healing process. When she was all ready to go he showed her out. He had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last time he’d be seeing her in his parlor. Generally, once he did a piece on someone they always came back for more.

Morning’s were not his strong suit. Jongin generally didn’t come into his shop until around noon and if he had a big piece that day he certainly wasn’t coming in before then either. So, as he drove into his shop he kept yawning. The perks of being the boss was that he got to come in whenever he wanted, unfortunately the downside was having to hire people. When he first opened his shop it was something he greatly dreaded but he called up his best friend who happened to be dating someone who knew a thing or two about hiring people. That was how they all ended up sitting in his parlor office once again.

“How’s life been Chanyeol?” Jongin said when he could finally sit down and get his bearings. He was still extremely tired and his back was a bit stiff from the tattoo he did last night.

“It’s been great. So, you need help with this new hire?”

“Doesn’t he always?” Baekhyun chimed in from where he was sitting next to Chanyeol with his legs draped over his lap.

“Ha ha ha, you’re not funny Baek.,” Jongin smirked over at him.

“What do you know about him?” Chanyeol asked

“Not much really. All I’ve heard is he’s big in the States and came back here a few years ago and has been working on and off here and there. Haven’t heard anything bad about him though, which is good I guess.” 

“What’s his name?”

Jongin grabbed the file Lisa left for him off his desk and opened the paperwork that had the name printed on it.

“Oh Sehun. Ever heard of him?”

Jongin looked up to see Chanyeol and Baekhyun share a look before they burst out laughing. There was clearly something funny with this situation that he wasn’t catching. The confusion was real.

“Care to share what’s so funny?”

“Not so much as funny but a bit ironic,” Chanyeol answered amongst his laughing fit. 

Jongin just waited until he explained because he didn’t see how one’s name could be such a laughing matter. Unless this person was going to embarrass him and his entire parlor with how talented he was. Now, Jongin was starting to feel a bit trepidatious about this entire meeting. 

“Jongin, your 10AM is here,” Seulgi informed him before he could find out what Chanyeol was laughing at.

“Okay. Thanks Seulgi, I’ll be right out.” 

“Are you going to tell me what’s so funny?” Jongin asked as he got out of his chair. He stopped right next to where Chanyeol was sitting and waited for his answer.

“Go get him, and I’ll let him tell you.”

He just shook his head and walked out of his office to the front of the shop. Seulgi pointed to the couch where a man was sitting. He had on just a pair of blue jeans and a black long sleeved sweater. Jongin couldn’t see much about his face since he was wearing black shades and a mask. He also had a black hat on his head as well but from the little strands he could see of it, Jongin could tell that his hair was blonde.

“Are you Sehun?” Jongin asked as he walked over to the man in question. He watched as the man stood up without saying much but then he bowed and stuck out his hand for a handshake.

“You must be Jongin?”

“Yes, I am. Follow me and let’s have a talk shall we?”

There wasn’t much else said between them as they walked back to his office. For some reason he was nervous about this and the fact that Chanyeol hadn’t told him much wasn’t helping his nerves. When they made it to his office, Chanyeol and Baekhyun both had wide smiles on their faces.

“Long time no see, cousin!”

Jongin’s whole entire existence halted. Cousin? This couldn’t be right. Is that what was so funny? He was hiring Chanyeol’s cousin and there was no way that he was going to say no. 

“Cousin huh?” Jongin asked once he finally got over his initial shock. He turned and looked over at Sehun who had taken his glasses and mask off and was smiling at Chanyeol.

“Didn’t want to come work for me so you chose my rival huh?” Chanyeol asked

“Change of scenery.”

Jongin was stunned at how deep Sehun’s voice was. He didn’t know what he was expecting but it certainly wasn’t that. Making his way over to his desk he tried to keep himself composed so that he didn’t show how flustered he was at the entire situation.

“Jongin are we really going to do this?” 

“Formalities, Chanyeol but since you’re vouching for him he’s going to get hired anyway.”

“How do you know I’m even good enough?” Sehun asked

“I don’t but I trust Chanyeol and he hasn’t steered me wrong yet. If you’d like to show me some of your work I’d be happy to take a look at it.” That sounded professional enough to his ears. He had to somewhat stick to the formalities, right? 

“I did bring my portfolio so…”

Jongin hadn’t noticed that Sehun had a thick black book with him and instead of acknowledging that tidbit he had missed he reached his hand out so Sehun could hand it over. The cover of the book had _Zephyros Tattoos_ engraved on it so Jongin figured Chanyeol must’ve given it to him when he first started tattooing. 

“Zephyros…” Jongin mumbled to himself.

“Yeah, our father’s owned the shop together until Chanyeol took it over a few years ago. You been there?”

“Ironically enough I got my first tattoo done there by Chanyeol. Guess everything in life does come full circle.”

Silence filled the room as Jongin looked through Sehun’s portfolio. He was absolutely amazed by the work he was seeing. It certainly rivaled his own and in some pictures it clearly surpassed his talents. He would be stupid to not hire him. But he would have to admit to himself that his own insecurities might show every once in awhile. 

“You free hand?”

“Sometimes. Depends on the piece. Clears my mind sometimes.”

“Hmm…”

Jongin didn’t really have much else to say because Sehun’s work was impeccable. It truly was arguably the best he had ever seen, even better than Chanyeol’s and Chanyeol was no slouch.

“So, when can you start?”

“As early as you’d like.”

“How about tomorrow?”

Jongin closed Sehun’s portfolio and slid it back across the desk. He looked him in the eye as he accepted his portfolio back.

“Tomorrow is fine. What time?”

“10AM.”

“See you tomorrow then. Thank you.”

They both stood up at the same time and shook hands. He watched as Sehun walked gracefully out of his office. However, Jongin felt an air of trepidation and intimidation that was left in his wake. What had he done?”

“Jongin why do you look like you’ve just been punched in the gut?” Chanyeol playfully asked

Because he honestly felt like he had. 

Time stopped for no one. Jongin supposed it was a good thing because it allowed room for growth each and every day. Which was exactly what happened to his shop merely a few weeks after he hired Sehun. Now that they were almost coming into the sixth month mark, his shop had never been busier. It seemed like every single person was there to get tattooed by Sehun.

It was both a blessing and curse. It meant that his shop wasn’t going to be on the brink of closing any time soon but it also fed Jongin’s green eyed jealousy. Although, his shop gained clientele that didn’t mean he did. Those mostly went to Sehun. Every few weeks or so he would gain a new customer or so but mostly he worked with his regulars which he was currently working on as everyone closed down their stations for the evening.

“Hey Jongin can I speak to you really fast before I head out?”

There was no knock on his office door but his presence was felt nonetheless. Jongin looked up to see Sehun taking a seat in the chair that sat directly across from his desk.

“What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you could do a tattoo for me?”

Jongin nearly dropped the pencil he was using to sketch a massive panther. He couldn’t be hearing things right. The best tattoo artist he had in shop aside from himself was asking him to do a tattoo for him. Well hell had probably just frozen over and pigs had to be flying. 

“Yeah, I have time on Friday. Tell Lisa to add it to the calendar and leave the customers contact information.”

“Wait. Umm...it’s not for someone else.”

Okay, now Jongin was confused and he also felt a little stupid for thinking he had bagged one of Sehun’s customers. Of course, no one would opt out of getting tattooed by Sehun for him. Regardless of whether or not he owned the shop.

“Care to elaborate,” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“Well, I was hoping that you could tattoo me. If you’re up for it?”

Yeah, hell had officially frozen over and he was absolutely sure of it now. 

“Not that I’m unwilling to take on this tattoo but why me? Why not Chanyeol?”

“Eh, he’s tattooed me enough,” Sehun replied offhandedly.

“So, of all the artists in here you chose me?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You are the best and I only want the best on my body.”

Jongin knew Sehun was insinuating nothing sexual when he said that last statement but Jongin’s body turned hot anyway. Aside from being somewhat envious of Sehun’s amazing talent over the past few months he had grown a sort of a crush on the man. He didn’t know if it was because he paid so much attention to his craft, the way he carried himself, the fact he was simply beautiful, or all of the above. 

“That’s woefully debatable when you’re in the shop but I am willing to take on this tattoo. What did you have in mind?”

Jongin waited as Sehun pulled out a folded piece of paper from his back pocket which he slid across the desk towards Jongin without opening it. When Jongin unfolded the paper his heart fell into his stomach. The drawing was a full body armored skeletal Ares with an eagle on his shoulder and two tigers at his side. The wings of the eagle were so large that it looked like they extended straight from Ares himself. It was an illusion in its purest form.

Jongin was so speechless that he didn’t know how to ask Sehun why he chose Ares but the latter took care of answering that unspoken question.

“Anything that has been an impactful part of my life I get tattooed on my body. It’s a timeline of my life and working here has had more of an impact than maybe you realize.”

Well now Jongin felt like utter shit for being so envious of Sehun and his talents when he basically just said he enjoyed working there. He definitely had to do the tattoo now.

“Then it would be my honor. Can I ask why Ares though?”

With a smirk Sehun stood up from his chair, “Maybe one day I’ll explain it to you.” Before Jongin had a chance to respond Sehun was gone and he heard the shop door shut behind him. 

“Hey boss, it’s just you in here. Sehun was the last to leave and I’m heading out. Are you staying late?”

“Yeah, I have to finish this design for tomorrow. You be safe going home.”

Lisa bid him her last goodbye and locked Jongin into the shop. As he was working on the tattoo his mind kept running over all the implications of Sehun wanting a tattoo relating to his shop having wanted it done by none other than Jongin himself. It was an honor of the highest regard but he had a feeling there was more to this that Sehun wasn’t spilling. He couldn’t let himself dwell on the unspoken but his mind couldn’t stop creating a thousand and one scenarios that would most likely never happen.

When he was finished with the drawing it was nearing midnight. Jongin took a picture and sent it to his client to look over and let him know if there was anything they wanted done differently or if what he completed was okay. He never tattooed anyone without getting their double approval on his work. His own personal standards wouldn’t allow him to let his clients leave his shop with something they ultimately weren’t both proud of.

Packing up all his drawing materials, he cleaned up his desk, grabbed his things and headed out of the shop. He wasn’t expecting to find anyone outside of the shop considering the late hour but who he ran into was certainly a surprise.

“Sehun?”

“I was wondering when you would come out for some fresh air,” he replied as he brushed his pant legs off and stood up.

“What are you doing here?”

Jongin was genuinely confused since Sehun left hours ago. Well at least he thought he had but the fact that he was standing directly in front of him was proof positive that he hadn’t. 

Sehun was flipping a lighter around in his fingers, crossing and uncrossing his feet as he found the words to answer Jongin. Even though it was late and Jongin wanted to get home he had a feeling that they were about to cross a bridge here that neither of them really realized was being built between them.

“Sehun,” he prompted hoping this time he would answer him.

Jongin started walking towards the parking garage that was across the street from his shop. He could feel Sehun following a few steps behind him. The streets were pretty bare at this time of night with the only things really being open at that hour were the gas station marts and convenient stores that lined the streets. 

“Have you eaten?” Jongin asked the question before he knew what was even coming out of his mouth but now that it was out there he couldn’t very well take it back.

“Not since lunch.”

“Would you like to grab something from the diner down the street?” He was giving Sehun a chance to air out the thoughts he was obviously having trouble with.

“Sure. Thanks.”

Changing direction away from the parking garage they continued down the street. There was a tense silence that had built between them but Jongin didn’t push Sehun to speak up until he was ready. He didn’t really care if it took all night he was never one to put someone in uncomfortable situations.

“What was your first tattoo?” Sehun finally spoke as they got closer to the diner. It was a few shops over and it wasn’t packed from where Jongin could barely see through their front window.

“It was on my eighteenth birthday. I got a bird on my ribcage.”

“Why a bird?”

“It symbolizes freedom and turning eighteen I felt like it was my chance to step out of my own comfort zone and the ones I grew up around. How about you? What was your first one?”

Jongin pulled the door of the diner open and let Sehun walk in first who told the waitress that they needed a table for two. She quickly grabbed two menus and directed them to the last booth in the back along the massive large window. They passed two other couples dining and a few people were sitting at the counter eating or talking to waiters behind the counter. It was a lowkey vibe and Jongin liked it. 

“Can I get you two something to drink?” the waitress kindly asked after they were seated across from each other in the booth.

“I’ll just have a glass of water,” Sehun replied.

“Same as him. Thank you.”

“So, your first one. What was it?” Jongin nodded at the few exposed tattoos of Sehun’s that he could see. He knew that he had quite a few considering the few times he would roll up his sleeves or take off his jacket at the shop. 

“It was my twenty-first birthday and it was a wolf on my right calf.”

“Any reason why you picked a wolf?”

“Much like you it was my symbolization for free will. Granted I have a lot of wolf tattoos but that’s the only lone wolf one.”

Jongin realized this was the first time that either of them had ever had a conversation with each other outside of work related things. There was quite a lot he didn’t know about Sehun outside of being Chanyeol’s cousin and whenever he’s with Chanyeol, the conversation about Sehun never seemed to enter the chat. 

A few minutes later the waitress came back with their waters and took their orders. When she was gone once again they fell into another round of silence until Jongin broke it.

“You know I’ve still got to ask why you waited outside the shop for me tonight?”

Jongin saw Sehun visibly shake before he regained his composure once again. He could see him chewing on his bottom lip and if he kept that up Jongin was almost certain it would start bleeding. On top of that his tattooed fingers were fidgeting nervously.

“I realized after I left that I might have weirded you out by my tattoo request. I actually made it all the way home before I turned around and came back. I wasn’t outside too long if that’s another thing you were wondering.”

It was something he was wondering but he wasn’t going to dwell on it.

“Why would I be weirded out? If anything I’m honored and quite flattered.”

“We don’t know each other that well though.”

“Would you like to get to know each other better?” Jongin asked before he could stop himself.

Before Sehun could answer the waitress had come back with their food but Jongin never took his eyes off of the other. He wanted an answer to his question even if the answer hurt him in the long run.

“I would like that,” Sehun said after a few minutes of silence being filled by their munching and the light conversation coming from the rest of the diner.

They really had to get over their full on bouts of silence because Jongin liked talking to Sehun. He felt like he could talk to him about anything free of judgment and could give that back in return. He also liked hearing his voice. It was something he noticed whenever Sehun would talk with others in the shop regardless of the conversation.

Jongin reached for a napkin on the table and grabbed one of the few pens he kept on him. He wrote his number on the napkin and slid it across the table to Sehun. There was no pressure on his part in wanting Sehun to take the napkin but he was hoping he would anyway. 

“I don’t need a napkin.”

“I think you might need this one,” Jongin said firmly as he nudged the napkin a bit more.

He watched as Sehun softly took the napkin from his hands, their fingers lightly sliding across one another which sent an electric jolt through Jongin’s entire body. He could see from the light redness of Sehun’s cheeks that the other was affected by the touch as well.

They finished up their meal with light conversation between them and Jongin found that they both had a lot in common. He wished that he hadn’t let his envy of Sehun’s talent cloud his judgment in getting to know him because he enjoyed talking to him during this impromptu meal.

When the waitress came back he offered to pay for both of their meals since he was the one who offered after all. They finished off the last of their water and together they left the diner. 

“Where did you park? I don’t remember seeing your car outside near the shop?”

“I uh didn’t drive. I caught the bus. Thought it would help me clear my head.”

“Would you like a ride back home?” 

They had stopped at the crosswalk right by the shop and Jongin awaited Sehun's answer before crossing the street.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” he said shyly.

Jongin was starting to notice that Sehun was a lot more reserved and shy when he wasn’t at work. From the first moment they met and every day since then Jongin felt that Sehun carried around this aura of nonchalance intimidation that even he was often struck by. He was kind to everyone who came in and his coworkers as well but he still had this standoffish way about him that didn’t let others get too close to him. The side he was seeing now was quite endearing. 

There wasn’t much traffic so instead of waiting for the crosswalk sign to change they took their chances of jaywalking to the parking garage where his car was. 

“That’s your car?”

Jongin looked over at Sehun who was looking at his car in shock, “I’m afraid to say yes.”

“Don’t be. It’s a nice ride.”

“Are you a car enthusiast?”

“You could say that,” Sehun said just as Jongin unlocked the doors to his matte black four door BMW. It was something he purchased as a gift to himself a few years ago on the fifth anniversary of his shop being open.

When they were both settled in Jongin drove off into the night following the directions Sehun had put into the GPS the moment he sat into the car. He didn’t live too far from the shop which ironically wasn’t too far from Jongin’s own place. Maybe about a two mile difference or so but he didn’t think Sehun needed to know that...yet. 

Car enthusiast was an understatement. When he pulled into Sehun’s driveway he saw three different luxury cars all lined up. He saw a Maserati, BMW, and an Audi. He wasn’t even going to ask where he got the money for those things because he knew that back in the States, Sehun was a very well known tattoo artist. He was sure at times he got paid way more than even Jongin had.

“So I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Bright and early. Thanks for the dinner and the ride, Jongin.”

Jongin waited for Sehun to get inside of his house before he pulled off and went a few miles down the street to his own place. They didn’t live in a luxury area but they were well off enough that their cars didn’t stand out too much amongst the others. It was the perfect balance of rich and regular. Jongin wasn’t really the flashy type anyway and despite the types of cars Sehun owned he got the impression that he wasn’t either.

The rest of the week went by fairly quickly since their last encounter. They didn’t speak much inside the shop but it was hard to miss the shared glances that would happen throughout the day. It got to the point that Jongin even started hearing some whisperings amongst his own staff who thought that he couldn’t hear them. He did.

“So, you and Sehun.”

“What about me and Sehun, Lisa?”

Jongin was cleaning and sanitizing his workstation after the last client he’d just finished up. He had known it was only a matter of time before someone had the gall to ask him about whatever was going on between him and Sehun. Even though there was absolutely nothing going on between them. He didn’t understand what all the fuss was about.

“There’s something different going on between you and Sehun. The whole shop can feel it. Have you two finally stopped beating around the bush about your feelings?”

He stopped mid-swipe from where he was wiping down his chair and looked up at Lisa incredulously. There was absolutely no way he heard her right.

“Excuse me?”

“Boss, we all peeped game months ago. You were just too busy looking at him with a scowl every time a new person came through the door. Envy doesn’t look good on you,” she said with a raised eyebrow. 

“Lisa is there something you actually wanted other than to test my patience?”

She laughed as she walked out of his area, “Yeah I just wanted to let you know Sehun is waiting for you in your office and everyone else has gone home for the evening.”

He followed behind Lisa, locked the door behind her, and went back to his office where Sehun was sitting on his couch scrolling through his phone.

“You ready?”

Sehun looked up from his phone and nodded. Together they walked back to Jongin’s now restocked and sanitized station. Without any prompting Sehun jumped up on his table and immediately took his shirt off. Jongin was taken aback by all the tattoos that covered Sehun’s milky white skin. From seeing his arm sleeves from time to time he would have guessed the other was tatted but he didn’t realize how much. The only space he really had left on his upper body were a spot directly over his heart and a wide spot on his ribcage where he presumably was going to get his recent tattoo. 

“A dragon huh? Didn’t see that coming.”

The entirety of the dragon took up Sehun’s back. Jongin was so amazed by the line work, color, and intricacies of the tattoo that he nearly reached out and touched it but stopped himself just in time. Whoever did that work needed an award. 

“You can touch it if you’d like,” Sehun said from where he was facing the mirror and directly looking at Jongin admiring his tattoo.

“I’ll uhh keep my hands to myself. Lay on your side. You want an extra pillow?”

“No thanks,” Sehun said as he laid down on the table and got as comfortable as one could in a tattoo shop.

Jongin rolled up the sleeves of his shirt as he pulled his stool and tray over to the table where Sehun was laid out and staring at him with intense eyes. He was trying not to show how affected he was but Sehun wasn’t making it easy. That was what confused him about Sehun. One minute he could be soft and shy while others he could be larger than life and slightly intimidating. It unnerved him sometimes.

Scooting up he took the stencil and carefully placed it on the exposed part of Sehun’s ribcage. He looked over the placement and his own outlined line work and he was quite proud of it if he did say so himself.

“It looks perfect.”

He looked up to see Sehun staring intensely at him once again. Looking down shyly he took his tattoo gun and got to work. The music that was still on in the background of the shop and the sounds of the tattoo gun drowned out Jongin’s personal thoughts and he concentrated solely on the tattoo.

About four hours in Jongin and Sehun both took a break. When Jongin stripped down to just his black tank top undershirt he heard Sehun gasp behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see what exactly caught Sehun’s eye.

“Your wolf. I have the same exact one,” Sehun said with a sense of shock as he rolled up his right pant leg and showed Jongin. It was the one he mentioned back at the diner a few nights ago. 

Looking down at his inner right bicep that had been covered by his shirt he was able to see what had Sehun so shocked and it was indeed the exact same tattoo. The only thing that made this even slightly weirder was the fact that Jongin had drawn that tattoo nearly six or seven years ago. And it’s in his own personal portfolio despite the fact that an ex-tattoo artist of his who went back to China was the one who tattooed him.

“Where did you get it done?”

“In China. I lived there for a few years before settling in the states. Do you know the person who did it?

“I know who did it and I also know who drew it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I drew it and an ex-artist of mine ZiTao was the one who tattooed it.”

“Hold on. ZiTao as in _AI Tattoos_ ZiTao?”

“Yep, that’s the one. I actually helped him open his shop and sent him some of my clients. Good to know he’s still doing well for himself.”

“It’s a small world out there and it’s getting much smaller,” Jongin laughed to himself as he sat back down and told Sehun to lay on his back so he could finish up the tattoo.

It took him another four hours to finish the tattoo and it was nearing 2AM by the time he finished the last line and put his tattoo gun down. Jongin’s back hurt and Sehun had nearly dozed off on his table. It turned out better than even he had expected. He didn’t know if it was because he was staying in line with his own standards or because it was Sehun and he wanted to feel worthy of his art being on his body.

“Holy fuck my body is stiff.”

Despite having stayed in the same position for nearly eight hours, Sehun still gracefully hopped off the table and went over to the body length mirror that was off to the side. Jongin stood back biting the inside of his cheek, nervously waiting as Sehun inspected the tattoo in the mirror. This felt like the longest tattoo inspection he’d ever endured. 

“Jongin, can you come here for a second?”

Trepidatiously, he walked over to Sehun not knowing what exactly to expect. When he felt a hand grab his and pull him towards a very bare chest, Jongin’s heart nearly stopped. 

“I just wanted to properly say thank you.”

The lips that met his own were soft but the hands that grabbed his waist were rough. The contrast in textures sent his body into overdrive and he moaned into the kiss which gave Sehun the incentive to go deeper. Jongin’s hands found their way to Sehun’s very plump ass which he promptly squeezed both cheeks that drew a moan from both of them.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the moment I saw you,” Sehun whispered as he pulled apart and just laid his head on Jongin’s shoulder.

There was more to that statement than Sehun was letting on, “What do you mean saw me?”

Jongin pulled apart from their embrace so he could finish cleaning up Sehun’s tattoo and wrapping. First, he took pictures of it from all sides with the intent to put it in his portfolio but this tattoo was so special to him he figured he’d end up keeping it between them.

“I may have purposely sought out this shop. I really wanted to get to know you when I saw you in passing at Chanyeol’s place when I moved back here a few years ago.”

Jongin couldn’t remember seeing Sehun before he hired him months ago. Chanyeol had mentioned a cousin or two a few times but it never dawned on him that he had been talking about Sehun. So he wondered when exactly was the first time he saw him. He decided to brace himself and ask.

“Where did you see me?” 

He carefully wrapped and attended to Sehun’s tattoo in silence until the other decided to speak up when he was almost done.

“It was back at his house. I think you had stayed over that night because you were shirtless in the kitchen drinking a glass of water next to the refrigerator. It was like four in the morning and you didn’t see me. I ran back upstairs before you could. After that day I tried asking about you to Chanyeol without raising suspicion but I think he eventually caught on. He had given me the name of your tattoo shop but it took some time before I had the willpower to even attempt to apply here.”

“So the day of your interview you had no ide…”

“I had no idea at all that Chanyeol had that much influence in your shop let alone that he’d be there that day. I was just as shocked as he probably was when he found out.”

Jongin thought back to that day and took Chanyeol’s reaction to Sehun coming a bit differently now that he knew the circumstances of how Sehun had made it to his shop. Him laughing that Sehun was coming always was a bit odd to him and he never really got a direct answer to what was funny aside from “he’s my cousin.” Then he remembered Baekhyun snickering too like he was in on the secret which very well may have been the case.

“I have a confession of my own to make,” Jongin said abruptly as he walked back over to Sehun and sprayed down his tattoo one last time before wrapping it up cleanly. He didn’t have to explain the rules to Sehun about keeping the tattoo clean and how long the healing process may last. He’d been there and done that.

He took a step back to look at Sehun who hadn’t put his shirt back on properly and it was distracting him immensely.

“I haven’t been fair to you. I was envious of you and your work. I started to feel slighted in my own shop. Insignificant. Your talents go far beyond my own and I may have consciously or subconsciously acted with less respect than you rightfully deserved. For that I am truly sorry. Also, along the way I may have developed some feelings towards you but I felt guilty even attempting to express that because I treated you so unfairly. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me.”

Once he let that all off his chest he felt the weight he didn’t realize that he’d been carrying seemingly lift. That also caused the air between them to shift once again.

“This might be a little presumptuous of me but can I...can we…?”

“Yes, whatever the question is I answer yes twenty times over.”

That’s how they ended up sprawled out on Jongin’s bed and Sehun writhing under him. His moans filling the air around them as Jongin swirled his cock in his mouth. The hands in his hair would tighten every time he brought Sehun to the edge and then backed off. He realized very quickly how much he enjoyed teasing Sehun. 

“Jongin please, I’m close.”

Oh, and he learned that he loved hearing Sehun beg. It wasn’t something he was ever a fan of before, usually found it to be quite annoying but there was something in Sehun’s deep voice that turned him on when he would beg. 

Jongin pulled off Sehun’s cock and slipped his lubed fingers back into his hole. He immediately clenched around Jongin’s fingers which nearly had his own head spinning because he wanted to feel what that was like around his own cock. Sehun’s legs were hanging off his shoulders and Jongin turned to kiss the calf that had their shared wolf tattoo on it. 

“Come for me baby. Let me hear you.”

He moved his fingers directly where Sehun needed and he came moments later with Jongin’s name on his lips. His flushed body was so attractive to him that Jongin had to take a moment to admire him. The amount of tattoos Sehun had astounded him but the parts where he could still see his milky white skin were the ones where he left his love bites. 

Trying not to get too close to Sehun’s freshly wrapped tattoo, Jongin flipped him on his stomach and slid into his hole in one swift motion. They both moaned at the intrusion that the whole neighborhood probably could have heard them. When Sehun clenched down hard over Jongin’s cock he started seeing black spots. It felt better than what he ever could have imagined.

“You feel so damn good,” he groaned against Sehun’s ear.

He gave Sehun time to adjust before he thrusted into him and started chasing his own high. His tattooed muscled arms were surrounding Sehun’s massive body and he held him as he continued fucking him. They were both spent but they needed this. 

“Harder! Please fuck me harder.”

Jongin didn’t have to be told twice as he turned them so Sehun was riding him. He let Sehun take control for a few minutes before his hands snaked their way to his hips for leverage and he started to fuck up into him. Sehun draped himself over Jongin’s body and held on as they both came together. 

“So, does this constitute as getting to know each other better?” Jongin asked sensually in Sehun’s ear. Sehun just kissed his neck as a response before he rolled off and laid on the other side of the bed.

For a few minutes they laid there in comfortable silence before Jongin got up to get them some towels to clean up with. It was well after 3AM and they both had to be back at the shop by 9:00. It would probably come to no shock to anybody if they came in together but he didn’t want to make Sehun feel awkward so he was going to give him the choice in staying or leaving. If he wanted to leave, Jongin was more than happy to drive him home.

When he came back with warm towels he broached the subject, “Sehun you’re more than welcome to stay but we’ve got to be back at the shop later. I don’t want to put you in an awkward position.”

Sehun looked over at him with one eye cracked open and his eyebrows furrowed, “Are you kicking me out?”

“Not at all. I just didn’t know if you wanted to show up at the shop together,” he responded shyly and maybe slightly embarrassingly.

“If you’re worried about what people at the shop would say don’t be. They’re all aware of my massive crush on you and support it wholeheartedly. So my question in response to yours is when do I move in?”

With a huge smile on his face Jongin cleaned them both up and flew back under the covers to cuddle with Sehun who was lightly snoring next to him. The moon peaked in through his curtains and shone a light on Sehun’s iridescent face and in that moment Jongin knew he was the most beautiful person on the planet and he wouldn’t give him up for the world.

And he didn’t…

_10 years later..._

“Hello, this is _The World INK_ , how may I help you?”

Jongin walked past the reception desk where Lisa and Seulgi were handling the walk-ins and phone calls, to meet with a new potential client of his.

Five years ago on their fifth wedding anniversary, as a gift Sehun presented a new shop to him that they would own together. Him along with Chanyeol and Baekhyun did all the work in getting the new shop up and running. They did the hiring process, decorating, expansion, and location all by themselves. Jongin had no idea until after their lunch date Sehun told him that he had somewhere special to take him.

When they showed up, there was a black and red ribbon blocking the entrance to the shop. Both of their parents, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, and old and new employees were all standing outside waiting for them. He remembered asking Sehun what all this was and he replied with “something that we can now call ours.” His heart bloomed and he grabbed Sehun right then and kissed him in front of everybody.

The transition from his old shop to their new one was easy but bittersweet. _Ares Tattoos_ was an integral chapter in his life. It was his first “baby” per se. He had started it from the ground up. It had taken him fifteen years to make a name for himself and a clientele within the tattoo industry. Fifteen years before he was able to comfortably own his own shop. So parting with his first child broke his heart a little but that only meant he got to spend the rest of his years tattooing with someone he loved and cherished. It was a new chapter in his life that he happily welcomed. They had been going strong for the last five years and it was their only prayer that it only went up from there.

When he walked over to the client who was waiting for him he did a double take because that wasn’t a new client at all.

“ZiTao?” Jongin stepped up to the person slowly.

The person turned around and it was exactly who he thought it was only older and probably much wiser. They hadn’t seen each other since Jongin financed ZiTao’s first shop when they were younger. He was one of the top three tattoo artists he had in his shop aside from himself so he was more than happy to help him spread his wings. They didn’t keep in touch but over the years he would hear good things through rumblings in the industry and occasionally from his own clientele. 

“Long time no see boss man,” ZiTao greeted him with a handshake and a half hug.

“What brings you to these parts?”

“Oh, just wanted to see if the rumors were true.”

“What rumors?”

“That my ex-boss and first loyal client are actually married and own a shop together.”

“It was his idea.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. He always wanted a shop. He’d been working under someone for years so I’m glad he finally got his moment and with a bomb tattoo artist for a husband to boot. He’s living the dream and I couldn’t be happier.”

“Would you like to come back and see him? He’s not working right now.”

“Nah, just let him know I said hello,” ZiTao said as he handed Jongin an envelope and with a nod left the shop.

Walking back to his office he found Sehun in his chair scrolling through tattoo designs on the computer. They’d been looking for couple tattoos for the longest but couldn’t seem to settle on one that they thought symbolized their union well enough. Most likely it was probably going to come down to them drawing it themselves.

“Hey babe, someone was just here that wanted to let you know he said hello.”

“Who?”

Sehun got up from the chair to let Jongin sit down and then he got comfortable on his lap. Wrapping his arms around Sehun’s slim waist he just rubbed his flat tummy and kissed his back through his shirt.

“Jongin, who was it?”

“Oh, it was ZiTao. He wanted to let you know he said hello and he gave me this,” Jongin pulled the envelope out and opened it with Sehun’s help because he couldn’t see that well around his broad back.

“Holy shit!”

“What is it?”

Sehun just handed the envelope back to Jongin and it nearly fell out of his hands when he saw that it was a check written for $10K and it was for their shop. Jongin was about to put it back on his desk when he saw a small note in the bottom of the envelope.

_To Jongin and Sehun,  
This is just a small token to two people who have  
been an impactful part of my life. I don’t know where I would  
be in this industry without the both of you. I wish you and your  
shop a happy union and many years of prosperity._

_Sincerely,  
Huang ZiTao _

Jongin learned many moons ago that life was what you made of it and everyone’s journey was different. If he hadn’t made the leap to get his first tattoo at eighteen he may not be the man he was today. All the decisions he made in life set him on this path to this moment surrounded by endearing and loving people. Sometimes you had to take a leap of faith and let life take you where it was meant to go.

“Sehun, what if we get two doves surrounded by the world?”

Why hadn’t he thought of it before? Based off of the views of Greek mythology, the dove was considered the messenger to Aphrodite and it also symbolizes love. The decision to get that surrounded by the world would not only speak to their own love but the world would show their appreciation to the shop they now owned together.

“I would love that,” Sehun answered as he turned around in the chair and gave Jongin a deep kiss.

Tattoos are often a map into the journey of someone’s life. The trials and tribulations. The happiest days and the worst. Jongin never allowed the judgment of others to dictate his lifestyle. Every tattoo he had was a part of his journey through life and this one with Sehun he knew was going to have the most important meaning to him.


End file.
